Tag Archives: vegan

Let’s face it, our skin takes a bit of a battering during the colder months. If you’re anything like me, you will be making sure that you are giving it some extra love and attention during these winter months, to make sure you don’t end up looking like a shriveled up prune!

I have very dry skin, so when it is cold I have to religiously stick to my skincare regime to keep it in tippity top condition and stop me getting cracked horrid crocodile skin!

Cleansing

I have been cursed with all of the worst skin conditions possible on my face, as well as having really dry skin, it is also very sensitive and I have really intense redness on my cheeks.

This is a really delicate cleanser which is excellent for both removing make up and cleansing skin. I love this product as it does everything I need, to be honest, I don’t think that it has helped my redness to reduce – but it hasn’t made it worse so that’s a bonus for me!

The texture is hard to describe, it is a combination between a cream and a gel and it always feels cool on your skin when you first apply it.

Clinique recommend massaging into dry skin, I don’t like to do this. I spray my face with water and then massage a pea sized amount into my face using my fingertips. You do not need a lot of this product; I wear quite a heavy amount of makeup and find that a pea sized amount is adequate to remove even the most stubborn of waterproof mascaras. Once massaged in rinse off with warm water, I then follow this with my exfoliator while my skin is still wet.

Clinique do have a whole range of Redness solutions problems which have had amazing reviews, I used to be a massive fan of the redness solution foundation until they discontinued my colour. You can see the entire range here

Exfoliating

The one thing that will never change in my skincare regime are the exfoliators that I use. Having dry skin can mean that finding an exfoliator that works for you can be a bit of a challenge.

I love this product, it is gentle enough to be used daily, but strong enough to really give your skin a good buff and polish and get rid of all of the dead stuff.

To use, dispense a small amount of the powder into your hand and add a small amount of water to form a paste. Apply the paste to your skin in whichever manner is best for you and let it work its magic. I find that massaging this product in with your fingers has the best results for me; I apply it with my fingertips using circular motions and make sure that I take it down my neck too.

I even keep a small jar of this in my desk in case of face washing emergencies!

Kiehls Pineapple and Papaya Facial Scrub

£24.00 for 100ml

The first thing that you will love about this product is the amazing tropical smell, that alone makes it the best thing to use on your skin first thing in the morning to give you a zingy happy buzzy start to the day.

I tend to use this exfoliator when I am cleaning my face in the shower. The instructions from Kiehls are to apply this to slightly damp skin, but I find it works better for me on really very wet skin. That is just my personal preference though and may be due to the very dry nature of my skin just needing that bit more water to get it to work effectively. As before, I massage this product in to my skin with my fingertips in circular motions, taking care to avoid the eye area.

I really do think this is a fabulous exfoliator, the texture of it is light and delicate and yet it does a really good job of getting into those pores and getting rid of dead skin without drying it out. Plus, the smell is phenomenal!

Toning

I personally don’t use toner, I find that it really does dry my skin and make it totally and utterly unmanageable no matter what moisturiser I follow it with. So, this is not a step that is included in my skin regime.

Moisturising

THE most important part of any skincare regime! I really notice the difference if I don’t moisturise and I have two products that I really cannot live without when it comes to hydrating my skin.

This product was made by the skin gods. I CANNOT live without it. It is the best thing that I have ever put on my face and is perfect for use all year round.

The texture is of a smooth gel, which again always feels cool when you apply, it to your skin and soaks straight in for immediate results. You do not need a lot of this product and as someone who is used to slathering on moisturiser on a regular basis; this took some time to adjust to. I literally dip my finger in to the pot and that does my entire face.

I use this daily underneath my foundation, I do not find that I need to leave it time to soak in as it does this almost immediately. If I have run out of this product (which I did for 2 days at the beginning of the month) then I really notice the difference in how my makeup goes on. I also find that without moisture surge under my skin base, my foundation looks cracked and uneven during the course of the day.

I really cannot praise this product highly enough, it has been a lifesaver for my skin and I will always promote it to anyone that is looking for a new foundation. Clinique also do a Moisture Surge Face Spray £19.50 for 125ml which is perfect for applying over your foundation for a moisture boost during the day. I always make sure that I have one of these handy when I am flying or on holiday when my skin dries out the most.

Lush’s Skin Shangri La £27.50 for 45ml

I really do like Lush products and for me this is the best intensive moisturiser on the market. I use this luxurious cream before I go to bed to give my skin a really good dose of moisture while I sleep.

There are so many good things crammed into this moisturiser, in Lush’s own words

” Takes your skin to a happy land, where it is isolated from the outside world

We have also added Queen of Hungary Water (rosemary steeped in vodka), fresh wheatgrass juice, seaweed and aloe vera gel for their antioxidant abilities and to help soften the skin.“

I couldn’t agree more Lush!

I feel like I am spoiling my skin when I put this on. It has a really dense luxurious texture which feels really decadent when you apply it. This is one of the best heavy moisturisers that I have used and I would recommend it to anyone with dry skin.

All of the Lush range are natural, approved by the Vegan society and cruelty free – if that’s not reason alone to buy their products then I don’t know what is!